Recreation: Fayetteville fencer John Murray is a rated competitor after winning Pirate Open

Jaclyn Shambaugh Staff writer

Tuesday

Feb 26, 2013 at 12:01 AM

Fayetteville fencer John Murray is now a rated competitor after winning the Pirate Open on Feb. 16 at East Carolina.

Murray, a 16-year-old student at the All-American Fencing Academy, entered the foil tournament unrated but earned a D rating when he beat C-rated opponent Zoe Loh of Chapel Hill in the finals to finish first at the open.

Murray, who is homeschooled, has been training in the sport for three years.

AAFA founder and head coach Gerhard Guevarra said Murray usually competes in the open category against adults rather than in the youth divisions.

Murray said he's been focused on earning a rating for the past year, increasing his practice schedule to work toward the goal.

"For the past year I've been trying to at least get my E," Murray said. "Then, I earned my E at this tournament when I reached finals, and I thought that was probably it for the day."

Murray instead beat Loh 15-10 in the final to cap a stellar performance in the tournament.

Murray was seeded sixth in the bracket after suffering one loss in pool play. He breezed through the round of 16 and quarterfinals, winning 15-2 and 15-7, respectively, before holding onto a late lead to beat John Shelton of UNC-Greensboro 15-13 in the semifinals.

FCPR spring sports

The deadline to register for Fayetteville-Cumberland Parks and Recreation's spring sports is Saturday, March 2.

FCPR's traditional spring sports are baseball and softball. Participants in those sports are required to provide birth certificates and three proofs of residence. Teams are organized into zones, and players must register through their designated rec center.

A list of zones can be found on fcpr.us.

Track, rugby and lacrosse are also being offered. These sports are not organized by zones, and participants can sign up at any rec center.

Contact FCPR at 433-1547 with questions.

Community sports writer Jaclyn Shambaugh can be reached at 609-0651 or shambaughj@fayobserver.com.

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